Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and Police Chief Lawrence Weathers are asking Urban County Council for and immediate expansion of the FLOCK license plate reader program. The readers take still photos of license plates and enters them into a database that can be used for local and national investigations. They are not used as video monitoring devices or to catch speeders.
“Our FLOCK pilot program began in the spring with just 25 license plate readers scattered throughout our community.” Gorton says, “Even though the pilot program is not a year old, the technology has already proved itself on Lexington’s streets.”
Gorton says the cameras have been a key tool used to solve crimes during the eight months they have been in use. Since the initial 25 cameras were put into play in the spring, evidence gathered led to the recovery of vehicles valued at $1,465,710, 455-charges have been filed, 11-missing persons have been located, 130 warrants and subpoenas have been served, including a murder suspect from Detroit, there were 36-firearms seized and 39-investigative leads.
“Locations for all license plate readers will be and are determined with the assistance of FLOCK safety and based on traffic patterns and crime reported by the public to the police department.” Gorton added that while the locations of the initial 25 cameras were not made public, that will shift as the new cameras are added.
The mayor has already put funding for 75-additional FLOCK cameras into the city’s budget, but she and Weathers are asking for the council’s approval to move the program forward now.
